McNeese State University BIO
Louis Bonnette was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame during the 2009 convention in San Antonio, Texas, at the Marriott Rivercenter.
A native of Pineville, La., and a 1963 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism, Bonnette was a two-term president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) and received the association’s highest honor, the Mac Russo Award. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the LSWA and was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, in the sports journalism division.
He is a member of the McNeese State Hall of Fame and the Southland Conference Hall of Honor. Bonnette served three years (1963-66) as the sports editor of the Louisiana edition of the
Beaumont Enterprise newspaper and joined McNeese State in April, 1966.
Bonnette may be the only SID ever to have his school’s football field named after him, an honor bestowed on him in 2008. He first became a member of CoSIDA in 1966 and served on the Academic All-America® Committee and held the CoSIDA record with 527 consecutive football games worked during his 46 years at McNeese State — a streak that ended in 2012.
This page was last updated Sept. 19, 2018.
CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2008: front row from left: Herb Hartnett, Ron Higgins representing his father the late Ace Higgins, Tamy Boclair, Bill Sansing. Back row: Paul Allan, Bill Hamilton, Eric McDowell, Louis Bonnette. Not pictured: Phil Langan.
Louis Bonnette receives his CoSIDA Hall of Fame plaque from Nick Joos.
Louis Bonnette 2009 CoSIDA Hall of Fame Induction